BackECONOMY
Punjab to get 4 CBG plants to curb stubble burning
Punjab plans four compressed biogas (CBG) plants for 2026-27, with two in Ludhiana and one each in Moga and Hoshiarpur, aiming to consume 1.08 lakh tonnes of paddy residue annually and produce 38 tonnes of CBG daily. The move follows six existing CBG plants and plans to scale up to 58 sanctioned plants, including 47 more in 2-3 years, through partnerships with GAIL, HPCL, and BPCL.
Why It Matters
The initiative targets reducing paddy residue burning, expanding renewable energy in transport, and creating a market for organic byproducts, though it faces policy and local resistance challenges.
Timeline
6 Events
PSU partnerships for scaling up waste-to-energy
April 27, 2026
PEDA has partnered with national Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) such as GAIL (India) Limited, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) to scale up waste-to-energy initiatives in Punjab.
Policy and investor challenges highlighted
April 27, 2026
Experts noted the potential of waste-to-energy projects to reduce stubble burning and generate renewable energy, while an investor cited unfounded opposition from pressure groups and panchayats as a policy challenge for investors and government amid the green energy transition.
CBG to be supplied to oil companies; organic manure market
April 27, 2026
CBG produced from these plants will be supplied to oil companies as fuel for end users in the transport sector, and the organic manure byproduct is expected to have a market.
Long-term expansion: 47 more CBG plants in 2-3 years
April 27, 2026
In the next 2-3 years, Punjab aims to have 47 additional CBG plants capable of consuming about 2.8 million tonnes of biomass as a long-term measure to mitigate the paddy residue handling challenge.
Six CBG plants already operational; more planned this year
April 27, 2026
PEDA notes that six CBG plants are already operational and collectively consume about 3.5 lakh tonnes of paddy residue. With the addition of another 4-5 plants in 2026-27, the overall consumption of organic biomass is expected to rise to around 5 lakh tonnes annually.
Four CBG plants to be operational in 2026-27 (Ludhiana, Moga, Hoshiarpur)
April 27, 2026
Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) plans four compressed biogas (CBG) plants to be operational in 2026-27, with two in Ludhiana and one each in Moga and Hoshiarpur. At full capacity, these plants will consume 1.08 lakh tonnes of paddy residue annually and produce 38 tonnes of CBG per day, helping divert paddy stubble from burning to clean energy generation.